CAUSE OF LOSS ... SPRUNG A LEAK OFF THE DUDGEON IN A NNE FORCE 8 AND FOUNDERED OFF BLAKENEY (LLOYDS REGISTER OF LOSSES)

To the left, The Walcot, built 1854 by John Wray and Sons, of Burton Stather, this being of similar design, build and dimensions as that of the Rival.

HISTORY OF THE RIVAL

Built in hull in 1830, the Rival was a 55 foot, 58 ton Humber sloop. She first appears in the Lloyds register in 1831, with her port of registration being Hull, her owner
being T.Mason and her Master being J.Riches. Over her life span, the Rival was to change hands several times before her loss.

HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP AND MASTERS

2nd owner, (Lloyds register 1835-1836) J. Bagnoll, home port Wisbech. 3rd owner, (Lloyds register 1847-1848), owner G.Haley, Master Gusner, home port Wisbech. 4th owner, (Lloyds register
1848-1849), Joint owners, G. Haley, Thomas Teed, Masters, Gusner and Thomas Teed, home port Wisbech. In 1849- 1850, the Lloyds registers entry, shows the Rival to be the sole property of
Thomas Teed, no doubt at this point his partnership in the Rival with G. Haley had disolved. From this point on, until her loss, Thomas Teed took not only full ownership of the Rival, but
also became the sole Master.

On the 13th of March 1852, whilst on passge from Gainsborough (on the river Trent) to London, with a cargo of stone, the Rival found herself in a NN easterly force 8. After the discovery of a leak
and with no means of repair, she was abandoned off the Dudgeon and left drifting towards the North Norfolk coast where she eventually foundered.

BELOW ... Pictures of the Rivals cargo of stone (Mandy Frary)

THE WRECK TODAY

Today, what now remains of the Rival and her cargo, sits on a sandy seabed at 20mtrs. Her cargo of stone is still very evident, this taking the form of a pile of quarried 1 foot square stone
blocks, the dimensions of this being some 4mtrs high by 10mtrs by 4mtrs approx. All but nothing now remains of the vessel apart from a large timber that stands almost upright amongst the
pile of stone. The thinking due to the orientation of the large timber amongst the cargo, is that this could well be what now remains of the mast.